Instead of a warm-up and a shot at the basket, activity was of a far more sobering kind.
The 652 year 11 pupils took part in the Drive to Survive expo, centred around how to drive correctly and the consequences of a crash.
Dare co-ordinator Karen Hodgkinson said the event took a new format this year, and the initial feedback from pupils and teachers was supportive.
Senior Constable Paul Howard said in the previous eight years of the expo, just 25 pupils from each school had been selected for a day-long session.
But changes this year led to all year 11 pupils being involved for a half-day session. Sen Const Howard said this meant more than eight times the number of pupils attended. He said the new format was a success.
The expo, which took place over the past two days, started with the pupils viewing a mock fatal crash scene involving two cars, with fire, police, and ambulance services showing what was done at crash scenes.
Funeral director Hope and Sons, with hearse, recovered the "body" of one "victim". The "survivor" was taken away by ambulance.
The pupils visited three different workshops. The first involved modified cars and how to tell the difference between legal and illegal cars.
The second workshop focused on the effects of a car crash and the role that vehicle speed played in influencing the results of a crash. The third session centred around peer pressure, driving skills and driving distractions.
Dunedin Hospital emergency department nurse Rosie Simpson talked of working at the hospital and dealing with road crash victims. Funeral director Michael Hope spoke about organising a funeral.
A mock funeral was then held for the "crash victim", with six pupils acting as pall bearers.
